An air force Cougar helicopter has joined the fight against a forest fire near the village of Gorno Lukovo, in Ivaylovgrad municipality, the defence ministry says. The helicopter is working from the air while fire crews from the national fire safety and civil protection directorate battle the blaze on the ground.

The fire broke out today. The helicopter took off from Krumovo air base at 4:47pm and flew to the fire area.

A separate forest fire, which started a few days earlier, has spread across the area between the villages of Kolarovo and Dositeevo, in Harmanli municipality.

Updated (04.10, 21:34): A wildfire near Gorno Lukovo has crossed the border into Greece, Haskovo regional governor Todor Ivanov told BTA. The fire has burned through about 1,000-1,500 decares of dry vegetation and forest. Thirteen crews from the Haskovo and Kardzhali regions are fighting the blaze, along with two helicopters and heavy machinery. Ivaylovgrad mayor Diana Ovcharova has declared a partial state of emergency, and ten firefighting crews from Greece have joined the effort.